1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shoe donning enabler which can be attached to an ordinary pair of shoes and may be supplied as a conversion kit. The enabler is adapted for use with a dressing stick but can be used without a stick by some users.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Most human beings want to be independent insofar as possible. It starts with, "Mommy, I want to do it myself," and continues ever after. Sometimes, however, as a result of injury, disease, age or some combination thereof, it becomes difficult for a person who is disabled by cardiovascular accident (CVA), Parkinson's, total hip replacement, multiple sclerosis, etc. to dress. Dressing hooks as shown in the drawings are commonly used to reach for items, pull up zippers, don pants and so forth. Putting on shoes, however, is still a challenge.
People who are disabled are no less fashion conscious than other people and prefer to wear ordinary, current style clothes and shoes. Cost is also a factor, as special clothing and orthopedic shoes are expensive, in addition to being institutional in appearance.
An individual feels more like a real person if she can dress herself. There have been studies showing that a person's feelings of self-worth have a profound effect on his or her physical health. There have also been studies showing that the elderly are more likely to commit suicide than younger people, probably because of their diminished ability to function independently and decreased number of personal choices, factors which impact the physically disabled irrespective of age.
There are many devices for supporting the back of a shoe while an able bodied person pushes in his or her foot. There are pull tabs, straps and rings for pulling up a pair of boots or for putting on and taking off a pair of overshoes. Insofar as known, none of the above-mentioned devices provides a conversion system for attaching a shoe donning enabler, adapted for use with a dressing stick, to an ordinary pair of shoes. It is to this need, that the present invention is addressed.